


What a difference a few hours can make

by MichLC



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 17:44:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3456143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MichLC/pseuds/MichLC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Speculation as to how season 3 will end for Olicity (at least how I hope it will end).</p>
            </blockquote>





	What a difference a few hours can make

"So Star Labs is going to really be helpful with my suit.  Cisco has developed this program..." Ray turned and noticed Felicity staring out of the window into the city.  "Felicity, did you hear me?  I want you to come with me to Central City."

Felicity didn't answer him.  She was fighting a losing battle within herself.  The opportunity was tremendous, but she knew she could never leave Starling just as much as she could never leave the team or Oliver.  Feeling Ray standing next to her, Felicity turned to look at him.

"What's wrong?"  He asked.

"I can't do this Ray," she answered.

"Sure you can.  We'll hire the best people to run PT.  Don't worry," he assured her.

"No, that's not what I mean.  I mean, I can't go to Central City with you, but that's not the only thing I can't do.  Well, I can't do a lot of things actually.  Like whistle.  No matter how hard I try, I can't whistle.  Isn't that strange?"  She asked.

Ray put his hand in hers and smiled to stop her babbling.  He had grown to know her little idiosyncrasies and he found touch always seem to calm her.  He leaned in to kiss her but she put her hand up to his chest to stop him.  Ray stared into her eyes and knew right then something was off.

"Felicity, what's wrong?"  He asked.

"Ray, I'm so sorry," she said shakily.  "I can't go to Central City with you and I can't be with you anymore."

Of all the things she could have said, the latter was not what he was expecting.  "What?  Why?"

"I've been deceiving myself and I'm sorry that I pulled you into it.  I've tried.  God, I've tried so hard.  I care for you so much and I think you are so wonderful.  You're kind and smart, and we can actually have normal conversations.  That's something that I've been missing for a long time, but it's all been an illusion.  I've created this illusion that I could be happy with my life the way it is, but the fog has lifted and illusion is no longer real.  You should go to Central City.  You should finish your suit.  You should find a woman who deserves you, but I'm not that woman.  I never was," she turned and grabbed her coat and purse.

"Felicity, you can't just say these things to me and then just leave.  I love you," Ray said.

"No you don't Ray.  You think you do and for a while I thought I loved you too.  I love you, but not in the way you deserve to be loved.  You deserve a woman who can give you all of herself, but I can't give you all of me.  I can't give you something that never even belonged to me to begin with," she said as a tear fell down her cheek.

"Felicity?"  Ray asked.

Felicity stopped at the door to the penthouse and turned back.  Ray was standing in the same spot she had left him.  His face registered the exact truth she just gave him.  They were not meant to be together.

"I want you to be happy and if I can't make that happen then you shouldn't settle for anyone else who can't," he said and smiled.

"Thank you for that," she said. Opening the door, she left Ray Palmer behind.

_Three hours later..._

Sounds. Felicity was good at deciphering sounds. She could tell what a lot of things sounded like over the comms. She was familiar with the sting in her eardrum when a gun was fired or wiz of an arrow through the air. Explosions were the worst, especially when she was met with silence right after. Her ear would ring for a moment as she continually called names into her mouthpiece. Her heart would race and her mouth would go dry. When John, Roy or Oliver would finally sound off, she was flooded with relief. This happened every time over the last three years. She would have a moment of fear that one or more of them would never answer her again and tonight was no different.

"Oliver? John? Roy? Anyone?" She asked.

She had done her best to remove her feelings from her night job. She'd been dating Ray Palmer for almost six months. He was kind, funny and smart, and she cared for him a great deal, but truth be told, she wasn't in love with him. As hard as she fought her feelings for Oliver, her heart fought harder. It just wouldn't release her from its pull, and that's why she had broken up with Ray.

 

"Felicity?"  John's familiar voice soothed her ear.  "We're on our way."

"Is everyone ok?"  She asked.

"For the most part," he answered.  That was John's way of saying that someone was hurt but they would live.  

Ten minutes later, Felicity heard the back door open and the team came in with Oliver draped over their shoulders.  Thea walked behind them with Oliver's quiver in her hand.  Since finding out Oliver was the Arrow, they couldn't keep her out of the lair, and since she was well trained by Merlyn, they allowed her to help on occasion.  She has become an asset to the team and a good friend of Felicity's.

"What happened?"  Felicity asked.

"Ollie decided going into that warehouse alone was much better than waiting ten seconds for the rest of the team," Thea answered with a sneer.

"Enough already Speedy!  I told you there was no time," he said.  Oliver's leather jacket was open and his black shirt underneath was wet.  Felicity knew immediately that it was blood.

She watched as if having an out of body experience.  She watched as Oliver removed his shirt.  His injuries didn't just extend to his torso, but his enter left arm was also covered in blood.  Felicity had seen blood hundreds of times, but for some reason this time was different.  It was different because she had finally given into her feelings.  She finally faced that fact that she was irrevocably in love with Oliver Queen, and the fact that he kept going out there every night with a death wish.  She could feel the anger bubble inside and her blood pressure spiked.  Her face felt hot and she clenched her hands at her sides.

"Lis, you ok?"  Thea asked with concern.  Thea had immediately noticed Felicity's anger and while she supported her relationship with Palmer, Thea kept hoping for her brother to pull his head out of his ass long enough to realize what was right in front of him.  Whatever was about to happen now was not going to be pretty.

Felicity could stand it no longer.  "That's it!"  She shouted.  The rest of the team turned at her outburst.

"Felicity, everything's ok.  We're fine," John assured her.

"He's not," she shouted again and gestured towards Oliver on the med table.

"Felicity, I'm fine.  It's just a few scratches," Oliver said.

"Just a few scratches," she said with a laugh.  "Just a few scratches, he says.  I'm done Oliver!  I can't keep watching you embracing death!  This is ridiculous!  What happened to stealthy?  What happened to caution?  You dive right in, don't you?  You just dive into the shallow end of the pool and hope for the best.  Well I can't watch this anymore.  I can't watch the man I love walk head on into danger with so little regard to his safety," she finished her tirade to catch her breath.  She inhaled quickly as if she had just run a marathon.  Everyone stared at her wide-eyed at her confession.  She turned her head to look at each one before turning towards her desk, grabbing her purse and leaving the Foundry.

"What the hell was that?"  Roy asked.  "This mission wasn't nearly as bad as other ones we've been on."

Thea turned to look at her brother.  "Ollie, was that first time she ever..."

"Yep," he said.

"Wow," John said.

"Guys, can I have a few minutes with my brother please?"  Thea asked calmly.

John put down the gauze next to Oliver.  "Come on Roy.  Let's go get cleaned up."

When John and Roy were out of earshot, Thea turned to her brother.  Oliver knew what was coming and he was not looking forward to it.  "Well, what are you going to do now?"  She asked him.

"Thea, don't," he said.

"Don't what Ollie?  Don't care about you?  Don't care about what just happened?  Are you kidding me?  You do not have the monopoly self-torture brother.  That gene got passed around pretty equally amongst us Queens.  Do you have any idea how great that woman is?"  She asked.

"Of course I do Thea!  I was the one that brought her into all this," he answered.

"She just told you she loved you Ollie.  You cannot ignore this any longer.  As much as you want to deny it, you belong together.  You are stronger together.  Don't you get it?"

Oliver put his head in his hands and sighed.  He was tired of fighting it too.  His feelings for Felicity never went away.  In fact, they had only gotten stronger.  Especially since John and Lyla's wedding.  He knew she deserved better.

Thea walked over to him and started bandaging him up.  She sighed but didn't say anything else.  When she was done, she turned to leave.

"Speedy?"  Oliver called.

Thea stopped and turned.  "I'm afraid," he admitted.

"I know you are Ollie but don't you think the alternative is much worse?  How often do any of us get a chance at real love?"  Thea said and tilted her head in sympathy.

>>\---------->

Felicity didn't know how long she walked.  She looked down at her watch.  She had left the Foundry almost an hour ago and had finally stopped crying about ten minutes ago.  It was a cool spring night and she didn't have a jacket.  She knew rain was coming.  So she wrapped her arms around her middle and continued to walk quickly towards her apartment.  She hadn't had a car because John had picked her up that evening.  She hadn't figured on walking so far, but it helped to clear her mind.  She was no sooner to a solution than she was an hour ago.

She had just arrived in front of her building when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.  John had always taught her to her wary of surroundings.  'You never know what's around the corner' he'd say, but she already knew it was Oliver before she turned around.  He stood about twenty feet in front of her.  He had changed into dark jeans and brown leather jacket and looked like......like Oliver Queen.  The man she had grown to love stood before her.  Not the Arrow, not the vigilante and not the potential new leader of the League, but Oliver Queen.

"Hi," he said.

"Hello," she responded.

Oliver walked ten paces towards her.  She didn't move or retreat.  Oliver just stared at her.  There was a tenderness in his eyes that gave Felicity hope and the opening for him in her heart started to grow larger.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Felicity sighed.  "You've said those words to me a lot in recent months.  What are you sorry for this time Oliver?  Oh wait, I know.  You're sorry for every bringing me into this, aren't you?  You're sorry for getting into my car that night, right?  No, no, wait.  I know.  You're sorry for every considering coming to see me with the bullet-ridden laptop, aren't you?  No offense, but I'm tired of those two words.  So if you don't mind..."

"Felicity, shut up," Oliver said.

Felicity stared at him with surprise.  "Excuse me?"

Oliver stalked towards her until he was right in front of her.  "I said shut up.  I'm not sorry for any of those things."

"Really?  Then what else could you possibly be sorry for this time?"  She asked.

It was now or never.  "I'm sorry for telling you I love you but never actually showing you.  I'm sorry for pushing you away over and over again.  I'm sorry for letting you believe that any of our missions were more important than you, but most of all, I'm sorry for believing for one second that you never loved me back."

Oliver had taken two more steps as he spoke.  Just then, he put his hands on her shoulders and ran them down her arms to her elbows as the first rain drops hit them.  He pulled her towards him and wound his arms around her.

"I love you so much and I don't want to spend one more moment apart.  I know you're with Ray..."

"I broke up with him," she whispered.

"You did?  When?"  He asked.

"Before I came to the Foundry.  It wasn't fair to him.  He deserved someone who loved him.  I couldn't very well love him when I'm in love with someone else," she said.

Oliver smiled and as his lips met hers, the rain started to fall in sheets.  Neither of them cared they were getting soaked because the heat of their love warmed them from the inside out.

_Three hours later..._

"What are you going to do about the League?"  Felicity asked.  She was wrapped in Oliver's arms under the warmth of her comforter.  The events of the last few hours lingered on their bodies.

"I don't know, but whatever I do, I'll have you by my side," Oliver said and kissed her forehead.  

Felicity smiled and knew everything was going to be ok.

 

**Author's Note:**

> A little corny towards the end, but I hope you enjoyed this. I've been disappointed by Oliver and Felicity's relationship this season, especially in the last few episodes. There has been a lot of speculation about what will happen with Olicity by the end of season. I'm hopeful. Thank you for reading and as always kudos and comments are welcomed.


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